Dalung sends two U-23 players, officials back to Nigeria

Sports minister Solomon Dalung has sent two players and three officials of the national U-23 team back to Nigeria from the ongoing 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.
It was learnt that the two alternate players Stanley Dimgba and goalkeeper Yusuf Mohammed alongside the team’s media officer, Timi Ebikagboro, curator and the team coordinator were sent packing from the games and flew out of Brazil to Nigeria on Monday night.
“We said they should send them back home if they could not take care of them (players and officials,” Nigeria Football Federation spokesman told The PUNCH.
Dalung had complained of the huge financial burden of taking care of the extra players and officials after the players were prevented from leaving the hotel over the unpaid bills of eight of their unaccredited players and officials.
Dalung said 84 players and four officials – unofficially accredited persons had been with the team since they left Atlanta for Brazil.
“The organisers of the Games, the International Olympic Committee, are only responsible for 25 accredited players and officials including feeding, flights and accommodation. We have been carrying the rest along. In Manaus, we were forced to pay camp allowances to the extra four players making 29,” Dalung added.

You won’t believe what the Olympic gold medal is worth …

An Olympic medal is worth glory and fame , just not very much cash.The 500-gram gold medals earned by Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Simone Biles are nearly 99 percent recycled silver. They contain just 1.2 percent gold, mostly used as plating,Daily Mail reports.
They are worth about $587 in current market prices.
Victor Hugo Berbert, head of medal-making at Brazil’s National Mint in Rio de Janeiro,said
It’s a great honor and a great responsibility,’ Each of the 5,130 Olympic and Paralympic medals took about 48 hours to make

Much of the silver is recycled from old mirrors and X-ray plates. The gold is free of mercury, which is often used to separate gold from ore and can poison local ecosystems if not carefully disposed of.
The last time athletes earned medals made of pure gold was at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden.

Edo APC Refutes Claims That Obaseki Has No Educational Certificates

The academic qualifications of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Edo state, Dr. Godwin Obaseki, has suddenly become subject of controversy.
This is as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the State, Monday, expressed concern over claims by Obaseki that he lost the original copies of all his credentials.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Benin, the State Chairman of PDP, Dan Orbih, said the claims deposed to by Obaseki in an affidavit were suspicious and that Obaseki should come clean on the matter instead of playing on the intelligence of Edo people.
He made reference to the affidavit sworn to at an Abuja High Court, wherein he alleged that Obaseki stated that he lost the originals of his primary, secondary, university and National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) certificates at a date that was not given.
According to Orbih, in the affidavit dated 7th June, 2016, Obaseki said, “that all originals of my above said certificates are kept in safe custody in my office but unfortunately during the process of relocating from one office to another, I misplaced the original of the above said original documents…That what I have with me now are photocopies of the secondary school leaving certificates, university leaving certificates and the NYSC discharge certificate.”
Accordingly, the PDP said; “The reasons he advanced are so flimsy and unconvincing. There are many question begging for answers. The affidavit does not contain the locations of where he was moving from and to or the state where he lost the certificates.
“Did he report to the police when he lost the certificates. If it was reported at the time they got missing, we want him to tell us. One will expect that he must have reported the matter to the police. If he did, why did he not attach a copy of the police extract.

Troops Rescue 88, Kill 3 Boko Haram Terrorists in Bama, Borno – Army

Troops on clearance operations in the North-East have rescued 88 people in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State and killed three during an encounter.
A statement signed by Col. Sani Usman, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, in Abuja on Tuesday, said 28 people of those rescued, claimed they escaped from Bula Musa village.

The statement said the 28 people comprised two men, nine women and 17 children, adding that the troops killed three terrorists during separate encounter.
“They have been taken to Bama town for screening, profiling and possible handover to emergency management and humanitarian agencies”, Usman said.
He said that another 23, comprising a man, five women and 17 children were intercepted by troops deployed at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Bama.
Usman said this was after they escaped from terrorists in Bula Musa general area on Sunday.
“In Dikwa, the troops also recorded influx of 37 IDPs, comprising two men, 12 women, 12 boys and 11 girls from Gulumba Gana village which is about 45km astride Gulumba-Kumshe Road axis, Bama Local Government Area.
“They were screened by the troops and the Civilian JTF who, later handed them over to the Dikwa IDPs camp management for further registration and rehabilitation”, Usman said.
He said those deployed at Nigeria-Cameroon border in conjunction with Civilian JTF also arrested two escaping Boko Haram terrorists named Mohammed Mundilga and Ahmed Ali.
“The terrorists, who hail from Gamboru Ngala Local Government Area on preliminary investigation confessed that they were Boko Haram fighters, and added that they sneaked into Gamboru from Abbaganaram village, Marte Local Government Area after being tired of staying in the bush.
“They, terrorists, attempted to disguise and pass on as IDPs but ran out of luck as they were found out. Both of them have been handed over to the Joint Investigation centre for further interrogation”, he said.
‪The army spokesman said troops also carried out clearance operation and fighting patrol at Wadama, Izakah, Gelemari and Kalizaram villages.
He said following information that terrorists were extorting residents of Zankari village, troops stationed in Monguno, responded and killed two of them, while one sustained gunshot wounds.
‪Usman said the troops recovered one AK-45 rifle and three rounds of 7.62mm ammunition from the insurgents.

US rapper Wale shares photo of his daughter, Oluwakemi

American rapper Olubowale Victor Akintimehin, popularly known by his stage name Wale, has shared the very first photo of his baby girl (Zyla Moon Oluwakemi) via his Instagram page with a caption, “Love.. Unconditional (Oluwakemi few days old)”.

Recall, the rapper was billed to perform alongside other African acts at last month’s One Africa Music Festival at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in New York, but had to cancel at the last minute.
The 32-year-old D.C rapper cancelled his schedule performance to be at the hospital where his girlfriend, Chloe Alexis gave birth to their first child.

Shaunae Miller Dives To 400m Gold

How badly do you want to come in at first place?

Shaunae Miller ensured that we had a 400m women’s final at the Rio Olympics after she literally dived into first place to beat Felix, the defending champion.
Felix came in second and now becomes the most decorated female athlete in track and field history after securing her seventh medal. 22-year old Miller told reporters;

“This is the moment I have been waiting for, I just gave it my all, I am just so happy, so grateful, such emotions I just can’t say.

“I’ve been going through so much this year. Everyone at home will all be celebrating right now.”

Cleric, Daughter Docked For Allegedly Distributing Poisonous “Akara” To Beggars

A Muslim cleric, Mohammed Yusuf, and his daughter, Salamat, 18, were on Tuesday docked before a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly distributing poisoned bean cakes, known as “akara”, to beggars.
The cleric, 50, and his daughter, who are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and attempted murder, were alleged to have inserted needles in the local snack before giving them to beggars.

The Prosecuting State Counsel, Barr. Ben Ekundayo, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on Aug. 5 at about 2 p.m. at Offin Street, Balogun, Lagos Island.
He alleged that the man and his daughter carried out the act with intent to endanger the lives of the beggars.
“The Muslim cleric sent his daughter to give the beggars, near the mosque, the bean-cakes, but when one of them (the beggars) opened the bean-cake, he found needles in the middle.
“Other beggars were notified; one of them, who know the daughter and the school where she teaches, led them there and she was apprehended.
“She also led them to her father”, Ekundayo said.
Ekundayo said that the offences contravened Sections 228 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Magistrate, Mr Ade Adefulire, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N500, 000, with two sureties each in like sum.
He said that sureties must be blood relations and account owners with a deposit of N100, 000 in their bank accounts.
Adefulire adjourned the case to Sept. 29.

Atiku Hails IBB’s Magnanimous Spirit At 75

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has said former Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) deserves accolades for his contributions to the development of the nation.
He stated this in a congratulatory message to Mr. Babangida on the occasion of his 75th birthday tomorrow (Wednesday).

The former vice president, in a statement signed by his head of media, Paul Ibe, in Abuja on Tuesday, said one of the greatest legacies of IBB is giving the country a manageable number of political parties by reducing them to two.
This, he said, reduced waste of resources through financial support from the country’s electoral commission.
Atiku noted that following the conception of the Federal Capital Territory by Gen. Murtala Mohammed, the late Head of State, Mr. Babangida facilitated the rapid development of the city.
“The virtues of forgiveness, and the magnanimous spirit of the former president is one of the magnetic and endearing features of his character.
“It is impossible to encounter IBB without being moved by his humility towards people, regardless of their social status in life.
“His detribalised nature and passion about Nigeria’s oneness are virtues worthy of emulation”, the Turakin Adamawa added.
He, therefore, prayed God to grant IBB many more years in good health so that the country could continue to drink from his fountain of wisdom.

Abuja Court Order Suspending PDP Convention Ineffective, Says Publicity Sec. Aspirant

An aspirant for the position of National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Barr. Kabir Usman, has described as ineffective, an order by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja, suspending the party’s national convention.
Justice Abang had on Monday granted an interim order suspending the national convention scheduled to hold tomorrow (Wednesday) in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, pending the determination of the application filed before him on July 20.

The judge gave the order after a lawyer representing the Ali Modu Sheriff faction informed him that the Ahmed Makarfi caretaker committee’s national secretary, Ben Obi, had approached the Port Harcourt division of the Federal High Court to obtain an interim injunction.
The injunction compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to monitor the convention.
However, Mr. Kabir, on Tuesday said that the Port Harcourt order was “very specific and was given last week” while the Abuja order was given only on Monday.
“Monday’s ruling was intolerable and unacceptable and cannot stand. It is the misconduct of the highest order”, he said.
The Makarfi caretaker committee had already said it would go ahead with the convention in obedience to the ruling of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt
The aspirant, who served as the head of the legal unit of the caretaker committee before he resigned to run for the position of publicity secretary of PDP, said the right thing for anyone dissatisfied with the Port Harcourt ruling to do was to go on appeal and “not a Court of equal jurisdiction”.
“In any case everybody is in Port Harcourt already, so who are they going to serve? We only read about the order in the pages of newspapers”, he added.
On his chances in the election, Mr. Kabir said he was sure of emerging victorious after he was endorsed by the northern caucus of the party.

Ex-Ebonyi Commissioner In EFCC Net Over Alleged N83m Bribe

A former Commissioner for Public Utilities in Ebonyi State, Benjamin Ogbonnaya Okah, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged abuse of office and collecting gratification to the tune of N83 million.
The former commissioner was arrested on Monday based on a petition by the Ebonyi State Government over a $12 million contract to a US based company Califco Group.

The state government said despite the payment of $10.8million as mobilization fee into the accounts of the said company, the project has been abandoned since 2012.
Following receipt of the petition, the anti-graft agency immediately swung into action.
The EFCC’s investigation revealed that both the Abuja and Ebonyi State addresses of the said company were not only fictitious, Mr. Okah was discovered to have allegedly collected gratification from the company in the sum of N83 million between July 30, 2012 and December 30, 2014, through his companies: Global Victory Allied Company and Mahco Mega Nigeria Limited.
Investigation into the matter is still ongoing.

Reps Chief Whip, Ado Doguwa To Drag Jibrin To Court For Slander Over Budget Padding Allegation

Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, has threatened to sue his fellow All Progressives Congress (APC) colleague, Abdulmumin Jibrin, for making damning allegations against him in the budget padding scandal.
Jibrin had mentioned Doguwa as one of the principal officers involved in padding the 2016 budget to the tune of N40billion.

In a statement he issued on Tuesday, the Chief Whip said he would sue the sacked Appropriation Committee Chairman for slander, irrespective of any action the House takes against Jibrin when it reconvenes from its annual recess next month.
The statement reads in part:
“With this clear violation of our extant internal code of legislative conduct, which must attract legislative sanctions against Honourable Jibrin, Nigerians should know that all sorts of statements and pronouncements made by Honourable Jibrin were mere sham and misrepresentations of facts.

SEE ALSO: Suspension Plan: Jibrin Drags Dogara, Principal Officers To Court

“He has lost out his campaign of calumny against the House. He has also lost out with the executive arm of government and our great party, the All progressives congress (APC).
“Having realised that he is already consumed, he is now resorting to court options, which I believe, he would lose out as well. Our respected judiciary would never fall victim of his misrepresentations.
“I finally want to categorically state that whichever steps the House may take on Honourable Jibrin on resumption in September, I, Honourable Alhassan Ado Doguwa, would in my personal capacity, definitely charge Honourable Jibrin to court for slander.
“He has maligned and defamed my hard-earned reputation and integrity. No matter what the House decides on Jibrin, I will never step on my responsibility to protect my good name and seek redress through our conventional courts”.